Tangled Worlds
by baru-chan
Summary: DISCONTINUED AU Six bored omnipotent beings suddenly decide to bring Himura Kenshin to Middleearth. How will he react to a world where a dark lord is hellbent on reclaiming a piece of jewelry? Full summary inside
1. Prologue

_**Tangled Worlds  
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)**  
by baru-chan_

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created by Nobuhiro Watsuki and J.R.R. Tolkien, various publishers including, but not limited to AOL Time Warner, Ballatine Books, Jump Comics, New Line Cinema and Shuiesha. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Summary:** Crossover between _The Lord of the Rings_ and _Rurouni Kenshin_. It is a year after the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. The Hitokiri Battousai has given up his sword and is wandering around Japan, searching for the answer to a question that burns inside him. Suddenly, six bored omnipotent beings decide to transport Himura Kenshin to a world on the verge of war. How will he react to a world where a dark lord is hell-bent on reclaiming a piece of jewelry? 

**Overall Rating:** PG  
**Chapter Rating:** G

* * *

****

PROLOGUE  
_In which six bored, immortal and powerful omnipotent beings are introduced_

Six omnipotent beings sat on a circle in the middle of nowhere. Well, in the middle of nowhere to us, anyway. To _them_...well, let's just say that they are currently sitting on a gazebo in Lásq'r's backyard. But since only the six of them could actually _see_ the backyard, the fact that they _are_ in Lásq'r's residence isn't actually important to us (since we couldn't even see their realm in the first place).

Anyway, as mentioned above, six omnipotent beings sat on a circle on a gazebo in Lásq'r's backyard. They were bored. _Really_ bored. And they didn't know what could amuse them and therefore banish boredom they've been feeling for half a millenium. Everything seemed to be so _mundane_ after eons of playing around in different dimensions and generally causing chaos in whichever way they go.

"What could we _possibly_ do?" asked K'nér mournfully as she absent-mindedly traced swirly lines on the head of her pet _Opii-ku_ (a cross between a neon-green feline and a puple reptile the size of a small puppy).

"I don't know," answered J'linér, staring at K'nér's pet as if it was the most hideous thing alive. (And it probably was.) "K'nér, dear, just _why_ did you decide to keep such a _repulsive_ creature as a pet?" J'lnér would have wrinkled her nose if she had a body.

"J'linér, dear, please remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder," said Bêlorún from the other side of the gazebo.

"You only take K'nér's side because she's your wife," Zòbr'kún pointed out. "Not to mention the fact that you always select purple and neon-green for the skin color of your corporal form." 

"True, true," chuckled N'grakún; who conjured a fan out of thin air. "I seem to remember a few primitives shielding their eyes and calling Bêlorún a creature of the underworld." He then started to fan himself; ignoring the fact that he _wasn't_ in his corporal form and therefore _unable_ to feel any significant changes in temperature. However, since N'grakùn was a stubborn god-like creature, he disregarded this and continued to fan himself.

Lásq'r sighed to herself. Every discussion was like this; and it drove her insane! _Just because I'm the youngest..._ she sulked. The way the others treated her was unfair; Lásq'r was only a millenium younger than N'grakún! _Well, I'm not going to be pushed aside any longer! I **actually** have an idea that could possibly work and I'm going to share it to the others! _

"What if we just take a random person from one of the multiple dimensions existing out there and dump him into another dimension on the verge of ruin?" suggested Lásq'r.

The other omnipotents paused. All of the god-like creatures looked at one another; and if they were in their corporal forms, all of them would be sporting evil smiles upon their faces. Many a dimension was almost torn apart when omnipotents were in this mood. If by chance they turn to our dimension when they're in this mood, we could be annihilated in a blink of an eye.

"Who should we pick?" asked K'nér.

"I _do_ think that it is wiser to pick a dimension first before choosing somebody to transport to another world," said Lásq'r mildly.

"Well, I suggest that we pick _this_ world!" said N'grakún, pointing at a random globe nestled among random globes that materialized out of thin air.

"Hmm, I suppose we _could_ get somebody from that world," mused J'linér. "But _do_ pick a somewhat primitive era; spaceships and floating platforms are a big no-no for the world I'm considering to be the dumpsite..."

"And where could this dumpsite be?" asked Bêlorún.

"Why, in Middle-earth, of course!" laughed J'linér. "We could dump the person in the middle of one of the wars...the War of the Ring, perhaps? And we could visit the Valar! I rather miss Vairë and Yavanna and the others..."

"Ah, yes, a good choice indeed, my wife!" exclaimed Zòbr'kún. "I have been waiting for a chance to visit Manwë and Oromë for almost a millenium!"

"But wouldn't the Valar get angry if we accidentally change the course of their future?" asked K'nér worriedly. After all, the Valar _are_ more powerful than they are...

N'grakún sighed. "Haven't you ever heard of 'free will?'" he asked tiredly.

"Whoops."

"Could we get back to the matters at hand and pick a person?" asked Bêlorún crossly.

"Let's pick him!" Lásq'r exclaimed suddenly, pointing at a red-haired man with a cross scar on his cheek.

"Is there any particular reason why you chose to pick that man?" asked Zòbr'kún.

"Well, for one thing, he has red hair. Red hair among Men in Middle-earth is rare," stated Lásq'r seriously. "Another thing: He has a tormented soul. You _know_ how much fun it is to watch tormented souls cope up with changes in their lives.... So, what do you say?"

"Dearest Lásq'r, you _have_ learned a thing or two from our previous excapades!" exclaimed N'grakún.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So, what do you think?! There isn't much LotR or RK here yet, but I promise that the next chapter will contain our favorite red-headed hitokiri! Please review; constructive criticisms are welcome, but flames will be ignored.


	2. Chapter One

_**Tangled Worlds  
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)**  
by baru-chan_

**Overall Rating:** PG  
**Chapter Rating:** G

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**  
_Concerning a scar-faced, red-haired, violet-eyed wandering ex-assassin_

The sun was sinking behind the mountains to the west and darkness began to curtain the surroundings. A lone swordsman was walking through the fields of Hokkaido. He had red hair, a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, and curious violet eyes. His name was Himura Kenshin; also known as the Hitokiri Battousai in Kyoto.

Himura Kenshin was also the chosen vic-- er, _person_ that would bring amusement to our favorite demi-gods.

The six omnipotent beings hovered above the wandering ex-assassin. They weren't in their corporal forms and were waiting for the chance to pounce on their -- ahem -- _prey_.

"Do you think it's alright to take him now?" asked K'nér.

"I think that he's ripe for picking," said N'grakún. "Himura Kenshin just came from a war and _that_ would help him survive. If we bring him to Middle Earth a few years from now, then his killer instincts would be harder to bring to the surface. You _do_ want him to return him in one piece, don't you?" He directed the last question to K'nér. "After all," he continued, "he _does_ need to save Japan later on..."

Before K'nér could reply, Lásq'r exclaimed: "There, there, he's starting to rest!"

The other five demi-gods all turned to regard Himura Kenshin, and lo! he was indeed resting. He was sitting down near the edge of a forest and was staring at the fire; his violet eyes luminous in the firelight.

"_Now_ the fun could start! What shall we do to him first?" asked Zòbr'kún. If he had a body he would be rubbing his hands in glee.

"Well, we should make sure that he could read, write, speak and understand Westron," said the ever-practical Lásq'r.

Zòbr'kún turned his gaze to the diminutive red head and focused. "Done!"

"The next thing we have to do is to get rid of that _horrendous_ reversed-edged sword of his and replace it with a proper _katana_!" said Bêlorún. "The way he treats the killer within him is simply _idiotic_! He's denying his true nature..." Of course, Bèlorún only said that because he becomes a happy demi-god whenever he sees blood (be it blue, purple, red or green).

"Let's add in a _wakizashi_ for good measure!" said J'linér who shared Bêlorún's blood lust.

"We'll give him the _daisho_ when he gets there!" said N'grakún.

"Why?" asked Zòbr'kún.

"We wouldn't want to scare the poor dear, now, won't we?" was the reply.

"What's the point of placing him in Middle Earth if he doesn't get frightened?" demanded Lásq'r.

"He'll be frightened enough when he discovers the oh-so-_beautiful_ creatures called orcs!"

"Yes, orcs _are_ rather beautiful, aren't they?" asked K'nér dreamily, missing the sarcasm. The others -- with the exception of Bêlorún who agreed with her -- were disgusted.

Deciding to ignore the latest statement, J'linér asked loudly: "When are we going to send him?"

"After he falls asleep; so that he would be surprised when he wakes up in a different place." 

**********

Kenshin woke up with the feeling that Something Was Wrong™. He frowned and looked around. Nothing seemed amiss... _Wait! How did the woods become this thick?!_

He looked around, and as he did, Kenshin noticed that his left hip was somehow...heavier than usual. When that fact reached his brain, he looked at his side and instead of seeing one sword hilt, he found _two_. His _daisho_ was back. _But how...?_ Confused, Kenshin searched for the remains of his campfire and found none.

Due to his bafflement, Kenshin didn't notice the presence of three people. They were almost directly behind him before the leader of the group spoke.

"Who are you and why have you trespassed in these woods?"

Kenshin slowly turned around and faced the owner of the voice and found three arrows pointed at him. The archers' skin and hair seemed to glow with an inner light and their eyes were light-colored and piercing. Kenshin felt their _ken-ki_ and his purple eyes widened. They weren't human!

**********

The invisible forms of the demi-gods looked on with delight. "This is even better than I expected!" exclaimed J'linér.

"But nothing's happening yet!" said Lásq'r.

"I don't care! I'm still enjoying myself!" If the demi-gods had bodies, they would have rolled their eyes.

"Let's go and visit Manwë and the others now, while nothing interesting is happening yet," said K'nér. "We'll go back when he arrives in that Elven realm."

* * *

_katana_ = a traditional Japanese sword  
_wakizashi_ = a blade longer than a dagger but shorter than a _katana_; the Japanese equivalent of a scimitar(?)  
_daisho_ = a set of two swords a traditional _samurai_ usually wears, the two swords being the _katana_ and the _wakizashi_  
_ken-ki_ = fighting spirit(?) 


	3. Chapter Two

_**Tangled Worlds  
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)**  
by baru-chan_

****** -- denotes change of scene/POV/writing style

**Overall Rating:** PG  
**Chapter Rating:** PG

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**  
_Of plummeting swordsmen and startled Half-Elves_

Kenshin blinked at the three...creatures. They didn't blink back at him. Kenshin blinked again. No response. He blinked a third time, looking like the most innocent living thing that ever graced the tainted lands of Endor.

But behind the innocent blinking were the thoughts of a trained killer. _Damn! What the hell are these two?!_ Kenshin thought furiously. _Their ki is different, I haven't felt anything like it before! What do I do? Attack and flee? Or wait for them to make the first move? Are they _oni_?_ he suddenly asked himself.

He did not look like it, but Kenshin was probably the most superstitious sentient being within a 300-kilometer wide radius.

Why, you might ask, was the most feared assassin in Kyoto afraid of demons and ogres and who knows what else? That was because _all_ of the Masters of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu were superstitious!

Myth has it that the first Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Hiko Seijuro (not Kenshin's _shishou_!), was ambushed by fickle demi-gods and demi-godesses and was sent into a confusing world where pigs could fly and seven maids with seven mops were sweeping the sand off a sandy beach for half a year. And the first Hiko swore to everything that was holy that there were oysters with legs running around him while he was having a lively debate about shoes, ships and sealing-wax with a Walrus wearing a tuxedo and a slightly demented Carpenter. 

When Hiko the First was returned to Japan, one of the demi-godesses turned to him and said: "One of the future Masters of your school will also fall victim to us. Warn your student, and your student's student and your student's student's student and so on that The Six will come back to torture you. So beware."

Thus explains Kenshin's wild paranoia when it came to supernatural goings-on. He was so paranoid that he completely forgot that _oni_ were supposed to be ugly -- and the three creatures in front of him were definitely _NOT_ ugly. Beautiful, graceful, and ethreal they may be, but definitely not ugly.

******

Meanwhile, the Elves were getting tired of the blinking the short Man was doing in front of them. He wasn't fooling them one bit. They knew that the Man was contemplating whether or not to attack them or wait for them to make the first move.

While waiting for the Man to react to their presence other than to blink, Celeblin, one of the Elves, studied the Man closely. He looked different from the other Men they have seen before; his skin looked a bit yellowish and his bright violet eyes were slanted a tad bit upwards. He also carried two swords, both of them with unfamiliar hilt designs.

Finally, Nimril, one of the other Elves, had gotten impatient. He was, after all, only 61 years old. "Speak up, _Adan_!"

The Man only blinked again and said: "Oro?"

Celeblin rolled his eyes and started to walk towards the Man. "He does not understand us. Maybe he speaks another language."

Dînedhel, the final member of their group, merely nodded while Nimril also walked towards the Man.

"Will we bring him back to camp?" he questioned Celeblin.

"Of course!" But Dînedhel, ever true to his name, stayed silent, though he did follow his companions.

******

Little did the Elves know about the Man. When Celeblin was near enough, Kenshin pulled out his _katana_ and slashed at the Elf.

But little did Kenshin know about Elves too. They were quick, quicker than even him. He just barely missed nicking Celeblin's skin when Dînedhel brought out his long knife and thrust it at him.

Kenshin evaded the knife and pulled out his _wakizashi_. This was not the first time he had to fight three opponents at once, and he knew what to do.

Nimril unsheathed his sword, swinging at the Man as he did so. Kenshin blocked him with his short sword while he swiped at Celeblin, who ducked and pulled out his dagger.

Dînedhel flicked his wrist and managed to shallowly cut Kenshin's sleeve when he was suddenly kicked by the Man on the stomach. The breath knocked out of him, he retaliated by swinging his knife towards Kenshin, who dodged the blade.

Nimril pulled back his sword, overbalancing the Man. He then swung the sword and sliced the Man's left thigh, to make sure that he would not escape easily. The Man grunted in pain and swung the sword again.

When Celeblin saw the Man ducking, he quickly swiped his dagger at the Man, only to be blocked by the long sword. Seeing the opening, Dînedhel swung his knife towards the Man's middle.

******

"What the _adsarilnya_ is going on here?" wailed J'linér.

"Where have the Valar and the Maiar gone?" asked Lasq'r.

Nobody had an answer.

Valinor was deserted. There was NOBODY THERE.

Well, except some Elves of course.

But The Six weren't going to lower themselves and actually _ask_ those creatures what happened.

"Hmmm...the the only time _all_ of the Valar left their comfy little homes was when they battled Melkor..." mused N'grakún.

Five of the Six Bored, Immortal, Powerful and Omnipotent Beings glared at Zòbr'kún in disgust. 

Zòbr'kún would have sheepishly scratched his head if he possesed a body. "Er...sorry?"

******

Kenshin gave a strangled cry when he felt the blade slice his skin deeply. His eyes momentarily flashed amber before it was again covered by amethyst.

Celeblin felt a small flare of triumph when he heard the Man cry out. Maybe he would stop this pointless fighting now.

But instead of halting the fight, the Man jumped to the nearest tree and fled towards the direction of the Elves' camp.

******

Kenshin jumped from branch to branch, trying to ignore the pain from his belly and left thigh. Now was not the time to worry about minor wounds.

But Kenshin couldn't keep the fast pace for long. His thigh was giving him trouble and the blood from his stomach wound was beginning to run a track on the hand putting pressure on it.

When Kenshin saw the trees giving way to a clearing full of people and tents, he was relieved. He did not notice that the "people" were of the same kind of Creatures he had met up with earlier. He did not care because his pain was blurring his perception of the world. All he wanted now was for unconsciousness to welcome him to its comforting arms.

Kenshin jumped from the branch of the last tree, landing rather ungracefully on his left side. He groaned as the landing further aggravated his wounds.

******

Elrond Peredhil was startled by the Man who fell in front of him. He was so engrossed with his work that he did not notice the Man immediately.

His eyes immediately found the bloodstain on the Man's tunic and breeches and Elrond's astonishment faded. The Man was obviously hurt, and it was Elrond's duty heal him. He _was_ one of the best healers in the camp.

Elrond immediately grabbed his medicine bag which he always brought wherever he went. The young Peredhel took out bandages and antiseptics and started to heal the Man.

* * *

**Glossary:**

_Adan_ -- Man (Sindarin)  
_adsarilnya_ -- a made-up word not to be used in polite company  
_Endor_ -- Middle-earth; archaic form of _Ennor_ (Sindarin)  
_oni_ -- demon/ogre (Japanese)  
_Peredhel_ -- Half-Elf; pl. _peredhil_ (Sindarin) 

**Names:**

_Nimril_ -- white-brilliance  
_Celeblin_ -- silver pool/mere  
_Dînedhel_ -- silent elf

**Secondary Disclaimers:**

The "strange world" Hiko Seijuro the First was transported into is based on the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carol, and could be found in the novel, _Through the Looking Glass_.


	4. Chapter Three

_**Tangled Worlds  
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)**  
by baru-chan_

**Author's Notes:** I edited ch 2 a bit. Nothing major, just fixed a few typos and making N'grakún calling Morgoth by his other name (Melkor) since the omnipotents don't like Elves at all that much and Fëanor was the one who first called him Morgoth. I also included chapter descriptions just below the chapter numbers. 

This chapter is dedicated to the author Diana Wynne Jones, who wrote _Howl's Moving Castle_ and _Castle in the Air_ -- two of the most entertaining books I've ever read. 

**Chapter Rating:** PG  
**Overall Rating:** PG

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**  
_In which the first law of insatiable curiosity is demonstrated by two 1/16 Maiar, 3/8 Men and 9/16 Elves_

A certain red-haired Man named Himura Kenshin slowly woke up to the sound of musical voices talking. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know how long he was there. All he knew was that the smell was _terrible_.

However, the thing that made the redhead wake up completely was the notion that those _oni_ had taken him prisoner.

What the ex-assassin did next was one of the things he would regret for the rest of his life. Himura Kenshin, most feared swordsman in the Ishinshishi, groaned. Loudly, too.

The First Law of Insatiable Curiosity states that when anything makes a sound, the insatiably curious creature would always investigate. Especially if said insatiably curious creature is an Elf. Of course, if there was just one insatiably curious Elf present when Himura Kenshin decided to announce his presence to the world, he wouldn't have a problem. Unfortunately for our favorite scar-faced, red haired, violet eyed, would-be-schizophrenic ex-assassin, there was not one but two -- yes, that's right, _two_ -- insatiably curious Elves. They also happened to be related.

Twin brothers, in fact.

There was once a theory proposed in one of the multiple dimensions long, long ago that curiosity might be a genetic trait. After much research, experimentation and cross-referencing, the theory was proven correct.

Let us all bow our heads, pray to the Valar and ask for protection in Himura Kenshin's behalf.

He would need it.

******

The Six Omnipotent Beings were in _Alkhr'ghët_, the dimension they usually stayed in when it was time for its inhabitants to throw a feast in their honor. _Alkhr'ghët's_ inhabitants, the P'nïtw'rghâ, were dying out because of a horrible plague. The Six Omnipotent Beings kept them from being extinct. In return for the Omnipotent Beings' services, the P'nïtw'rghâ worshiped them, which they didn't mind, because the Six felt that they were grossly underappreciated anyway.

However, the P'nïtw'rghâ were the last thing that was in Five of the Six Omnipotent Beings' collective mind (if they had one). J'linér was working up a rage. The P'nïtw'rghâ call her their Godess of Darkness and Anger, and they couldn't have thought of a better title for the hot-tempered omnipotent being.

"Zòbr'kún, why, in the multiple dimensions of the Great and Almighty One, did you transport our little plaything to the WAR OF WRATH?! You were supposed to bring him to the WAR OF THE RING! Is the difference between those two wars so large that your tiny, omnipotent brain could not process it? Is that it? ANSWER ME!!!" J'linér raged, disturbing the relative peace of the surrounding area; barring, of course, the fact that the said surrounding area's inhabitants could see or hear them.

"J'linér, dearie, calm down!" Zòbr'kún desperately cried out. "I _merely_ miscalculated a few years..."

"'A few years' my corporal form's arse! You brought Himura SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS before the War of the Ring! As in: the First Age. When that wayward cousin of ours decided to plague that dimension! WHY DID YOU BRING HIM TO THAT AGE?! You stupid, idiotic, moronic _P'TNG-NA_!"

"Great," said N'grakùn to Lásq'r. "Zòbr'kún reduced J'linér to _Tekâluok_." _Tekâluok_ is the language of extraordinarily beautiful creatures who call themselves the Sadsratak. They have blue skin, silver hair and purple eyes. Strangely enough, though, these beautiful creatures' language is harsh and guttural, which was contradicting. Of course, since J'linér doesn't like contradictions, they were her bane of existence.

"I want you to remedy this mishap, and I want you to DO IT _NOW_!" yelled J'linér.

"Yes, ma'am!" squeaked Zòbr'kún.

"And for the Almighty One's sake, make him understand every language the others and I want our plaything to understand!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Zòbr'kún was starting to sound like a broken machine that could be found in one of the multiple dimensions out there that plays music on round pieces of plastic with grooves on it. In other words: He sounded like a broken record player.

"Orkish!" said K'nér.

"Khuzdul!" exclaimed Bêlorún.

"Quenya!" That was N'grakùn.

"Sindarin!" That was L'ásqr.

"Rohirric!" snarled J'linér.

"There, all done! I even added Telerin to the list! Now can we _please_ go back to having fun?" whined Zòbr'kún pathetically.

******

Elrond cut off his conversation with Elros at the sound of the Man's groan. He, along with his brother, turned to look at the red head.

The Man swiveled around, widened his violet eyes, and squeaked at the sight of the twins. Elros, who had yet to learn the fine art of tactfulness, asked him, "Do your vocal chords function differently from ours?"

Violet eyes widened even more at the sound of the question and the Man gave another "peep". Of course, any mortal subjected to twin stares of two Half-Elves (though it was more like 1/16 Maia, 3/8 Man and 9/16 Elf -- or 6.25% Maia, 37.5% Man and 56.25% Elf if you prefer) would do the same thing the Man did, but the fact that he _did_ squeak mystified the twin brothers. 

Elrond suddenly realized that the Man _did_ have a different set of vocal chords -- a mortal's voice doesn't sound musical, does it? 

******

Kenshin was afraid. Yes, he was honest enough to admit -- at least, to himself -- that he felt fear. Of course, being subjected to two piercing stares at the same time would instill fear even to the hardest of hearts.

Especially if the starers happen to be descendants of a Maia.

The rurouni attempted to stifle the urge to swallow, but unfortunately, his throat did not cooperate. He gulped, the sound reverberating within the small tent.

"_Ano_...where am I _de gozaru ka_?" he asked the two 1/16 Maiar, 3/8 Men and 9/16 Elves in perfect Sindarin -- well, except for the first and the last three words, of course.

"What did I tell you?" Elros said to Elrond. "The _adan_ has a different set of vocal chords. He sounds like a woman!"

* * *

**Glossary:**

_adan_ -- Man (Sindarin)  
_ano_ -- "um..." (Japanese) _de gozaru ka_ -- "de gozaru" is an ultra-polite phrase suffixed to any sentence. It is the archaic form of the words "de gozaimasu" and was used by ninjas and samurai when addressing their lords. "Ka" is added when "de gozaru" is suffixed to a question (Japanese)  
_Ishinshishi_ -- the faction opposing the shogunate during the civil war before the Meiji Restoration in Japan (Japanese)  
_Khuzdul_ -- language of the Dwarves  
_oni_ -- ogre, demon (Japanese)  
_Orkish_ -- language of the Orcs  
_Quenya_ -- tongue of the High Elves of Valinor, brought to Middle-earth by the Noldor  
_Rohirric_ -- language of the Rohirrim  
_rurouni_ -- lit. wandering masterless samurai (Japanese)  
_Sindarin_ -- Grey-Elven speech  
_Telerin_ -- speech of the sea-faring Elves from Valinor 

**Secondary Disclaimers:**

The Curiosity is a Genetic Trait Theory mentioned earlier isn't real, I just made it up. 

**For those of you who are wondering how the heck I found out about the exact composition of Elrond and Elros' blood:** It's simple. The thought that Tolkien was too lazy to calculate the exact amount of "blood" of each hybrid in M-e because he called Elwing, Eärendil, Elrond, Elros, Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen Half-Elves. Since I wasn't paying any particular attention to my class when I thought of that, I decided to calculate things. Here are the blood compositions of most of the descendants of Lúthien:

Dior - 1/4 Maia, 1/2 Man, 1/4 Elf  
Elwing - 1/8 Maia, 1/4 Man, 5/8 Elf  
Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen - 1/32 Maia, 3/16 Man, 25/32 Elf 


	5. Chapter Four

_**Tangled Worlds  
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)**  
by baru-chan_

**Author's Notes:** Yes, this is late, YET AGAIN. BUT, I have a reasonable explanation! Projects had to be submitted (both school-related and not), subject matters discussed all the way back from June had to be reviewed, I had to re-read the RK manga and Silmarillion, and babysitting duties prevented all me from writing the next part of this story. Yet fear not, my dear readers! It is summer here so, theoretically, I might find time to finish this monster of a fic. (But then again, reality _is_ different from theory...)   
  
  
  
Oh, by the way, I now have a LiveJournal account. I'll post snippets of future chapters of this fic and my other WIPs there. It's at:  
  
  
  
http : // www . livejournal . com / users / baruchan  
Just get rid of the spaces since, apparently, ff.net has a grudge against URLs...  
  
  
  
**Chapter Rating:** PG  
**Overall Rating:** PG  
  
  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my six-month-young brother, Ryan the Romulan, who never ceases to amuse me with his antics.  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER FOUR**  
_Concerning a soba-loving police officer and a sake-deprived potter_

  
  
  
  
Kenshin blinked, forced back a scowl and plastered a rather rough version of his "rurouni-smile" on his face. "Excuse me, but what do you mean 'he sounds like a woman', de gozaru ka?" he asked mildly.  
  
  
  
The thoughts that ran through his head, however, weren't so mild. The ex-assassin mentally questioned the ancestry and sexual preferences of the tactless...hybrid in front of him while a nagging thought from the back of his head started to distract him. Kenshin pushed it off - it could be examined later.  
  
  
  
"Exactly that - you sound like a woman," was the prompt response. The other inhabitant of the tent rolled his eyes and shot an amused glance towards the redhead.  
  
  
  
Kenshin tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose. Not only was this...hybrid...tactless, he was also a smart aleck. _If only I have my daisho..._ he bemoaned.   
  
  
  
The nagging thought from the back of his mind suddenly hit him full-force, and he realized something important about the two in front of him - something he sensed from their ki.  
  
  
  
The two in front of him were mixes between humans, those creatures that injured him in the first place and...something else entirely. Though what that "something" was, Kenshin didn't know. Of course, in the off-chance that he did find out what that "something" was, Kenshin would have a fit, considering the fact that the omnipotent beings that brought him to Middle-earth and that "something" he was wondering about were kin.  
  
  
  
"What's your name?" the other hybrid suddenly asked him just as the smart aleck opened his mouth. Kenshin mentally smirked.  
  
  
  
"Why should I tell you my name?" asked Kenshin warily, longing more and more for his _daisho_.  
  
  
  
The one who asked him his name tilted his head up proudly. "Because _I_ was the one who healed you and I deserve to know the name of the person who needed my help," he answered simply.   
  
  
  
Kenshin sighed. "Fine. My name is Himura Kenshin," he muttered.  
  
  
  
The first hybrid clapped his hands once in delight. "Excellent! I am Elros Eärendilion, and this is my brother, Elrond," he said, patting the shoulder of the one who healed Kenshin. "It's nice to finally place a name on your face, I was getting tired of referring to you as Fincaran."   
  
  
  
Kenshin blinked and snorted softly. _Fincaran_ indeed!  
  
  
  
The three of them stared at each other uneasily until he couldn't control himself anymore. "What _are_ you?" Kenshin burst out. "You feel..._different_ from what I'm used to. Are you human or something else?"  
  
  
  
"Why, we're Elves, of course!" said Elrond. "Haven't you seen an Elf before?"  
  
  
  
"Well, actually, we're Half-Elves," corrected Elros. Kenshin nodded to himself. _So _that's_ why they feel like Elves and a bit like me..._  
  
  
  
Kenshin shook his head. Where the heck _was_ he?!  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  
J'linér was incensed yet again. "Why haven't you transferred him to the Third Age yet?" she demanded. "I _ordered_ you to bring him several thousand years to the future, but did you listen? No...you just had to watch the toy being treated by those - by those _creatures_!" If she were in her corporal form, she would have spontaneously combusted by then.   
  
  
  
But she wasn't in her corporal form and for that, Zòbr'kún was grateful - he didn't want to see her entrails flying all over the place.   
  
  
  
He sighed. Zòbr'kún didn't know how much of her incessant orders he could stand. She was worse than a banshee and an offspring of a _w'grinal_ wailing together!  
  
  
  
Fortunately for Zòbr'kún, Lásq'r came to his rescue. "J'linér, dear," she said in her mild voice, "can't you see that our little plaything is being infuriated with the great-grandson of dear Melian?"  
  
  
  
"Melian?" J'linér asked, confused, her tirade suddenly halting. "Who's Melian?"  
  
  
  
"The Maia, dear," said K'nér soothingly, "the one who wedded with that _Elf_." She wrinkled her nose. "She had a daughter, Lúthien, remember? The one infuriating our plaything must be one of her grandsons, Elros."  
  
  
  
"Then it's nice to know that Elros is carrying out our work for us," said N'grakùn proudly, "I expect no less from the descendant of our kin!"  
  
  
  
"True, true," chuckled Bêlorún. "Clearly the blood of an omnipotent being is flowing within him!"  
  
  
  
"Too bad his twin isn't helping him annoy our toy."  
  
  
  
"Yes, that may be so, but at least he isn't stopping him!"   
  
  
  
"Hm. Right you..." The discussion continued.  
  
  
  
If Zòbr'kún were in his corporal form, he would have breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank the Almighty One for Lásq'r!_ he cheered silently when a thought entered his omnipotent mind. _Oh, no! I owe her now! But what would she want from me...?_ He turned to observe his fellow omnipotent, who was seemingly oblivious to his scrunity.  
  
  
  
Lásq'r suddenly turned towards Zòbr'kún and smiled sweetly at him. Her smile was so sweet that if Zòbr'kún was in his corporal form, his teeth would have rotten immediately from too much sugar.   
  
  
  
As it was, the demi-god was afraid. Very afraid.  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  
After spending almost two hours awake in the company of the twins in front of him - Elros in particular - Kenshin was almost ready to commit _seppuku_. He gritted his teeth. "You are worse than Saitou and _shishou_ combined..." he muttered darkly, glowering at the too-innocent face of Elros Eärendilion in front of him.  
  
  
  
"Who is Saitou and Shishou?" asked Elrond, perhaps to discourage his brother from asking more annoying questions.  
  
  
  
"Saitou Hajime was a member of the Shinsengumi and one of their best swordsmen. _Shishou_ is not a name, it is a title that means "master" or "teacher". He was the one who taught me _kenjutsu_..." Kenshin said with a faraway look on his face.  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  
At another dimension, on a planet its inhabitants call Earth, in a country known internationally as Japan, on the island called Honshu, at a city named Kyoto, inside a restaurant named Shirobeko, a tall, lanky man eating soba suddenly sneezed loudly, earning dirty looks courtesy of his fellow diners.  
  
  
  
"_Sumimasen_," he politely told the nearest waitress and the restaurant at large.  
  
  
  
"Ah, that's all right, Fujita-san!" said the waitress cheerfully as she went about her duties. The other patrons turned back to their food.  
  
  
  
Fujita Gorou, formerly known as Saitou Hajime, continued to eat his meal.  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  
At the same time, at the same dimension, on the same planet, in the same country, on the same island, on a mountain outside the city of Kyoto, a largely-built man sitting in front of a kiln sipping _sake_ also sneezed loudly, spilling the beverage down his shirt.  
  
  
  
"Chikusho!" he cursed as the precious liquid meandered on the dirt. He sighed. "Ah, yare-yare..."  
  
  
  
He pulled out the jars and pots he was baking and set them aside to cool. The potter then carefully placed the still-wet jugs he was going to fire inside the kiln. He straightened up and sighed again before heading inside his hut.   
  
  
  
"Now," Hiko Seijurou, Thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu - also known as Kakunoshin Niitsu - muttered irritatedly, "where the hell is that other jug of _sake_?"  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  
"Ah," said Elrond uncomfortably, for the lack of anything to say. In truth, he really didn't know what the _adan_ was talking about - _kenjutsu_? what was that? - but he needed to know more about him.  
  
  
  
Like what to call him: Himura or Kenshin. He didn't specify which is his preferred name, much to Elrond's chargin.  
  
  
  
Well, however he wanted to be called, Elrond didn't want to call him by either of those two names before his brother does. He _really_ didn't want to be embarassed at all...  
  
  
  
"Master Himura, where did you come from, anyway?" asked Elros suddenly.  
  
  
  
"Oro?" Himura blinked at them. "What do you want to know: where I was born, where I grew up in, where I spent most of my teenage life or where I was last before I met those three Elves?"  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
**GLOSSARY:**  
  
**_adan_** - Man (Sindarin)  
**_chikusho_** - shit (Japanese)  
**_daisho_** - a set of two swords comprised of a _katana_ [>long sword] and a **_wakizashi_** [>short sword] (Japanese)  
**_de gozaru ka_** - "de gozaru" is an ultra-polite phrase suffixed to any sentence. It is the archaic form of the words "de gozaimasu" and was used by ninjas and samurai when addressing their lords. "Ka" is added when "de gozaru" is suffixed to a question (Japanese)  
**_kenjutsu_** - art of the sword; archaic form of _kendo_ [>way of the sword] (Japanese)  
**_Maia_** (pl. Maiar) - demi-gods and -godesses who serve the Valar, and are the same order as them, though not as powerful   
**_rurouni_** - lit. wandering masterless samurai [Watsuki-sensei invented the word] (Japanese)  
**_sake_** - rice wine (Japanese)   
**_seppuku_** - ritual suicide: the person committing _seppuku_ plunges a wakizashi through his or her abdomen, slicing downwards then sidewards to let the...ahem, entrails out. After he or she had suffered enough, somebody will decapitate his or her head. Gruesome, no? (Japanese)  
**_Shinsengumi_** - the Kyoto police that serve the Shogunate; Kenshin's enemies (Japanese)  
**_sumimasen_** - sorry (Japanese)  
**_yare-yare_** - oh well... (Japanese)   
  
  
  
The nickname given by Elros to Kenshin - **_Fincaran_** - means red hair.  
  
  
  
**Pottery:** The only thing I know about pottery is that it involves a spinning thing, clay and a kiln, so I just guessed how Hiko put the pots inside the kiln to be fired.  
  
  
  
**About the sneezing thing:** The Japanese believe that if you suddenly sneeze, somebody is talking about you. Just like that episode in the anime when Kenshin and the gang were talking about Saitou and he suddenly sneezed four times while eating his soba...hehe.  
  
  
  


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